Flax-harvester.



No. 708,848. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

I n. L. WELLMAN.

FL-AX HARVESTER.

(Application filed. Aug. 1 1900.) (No Model.) 3 SheafsSheet l.

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No. 708,848. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

D. L. WELLMAN.

FLAX HARVES TEB.

(Application filed Aug. 1,1900.) 1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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NR K WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID LEWIS VVELLMAN, OF FRAZEE, MINNESOTA.

FLAX-AHAQRVVESTER.

SPEGIFIClA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,848, datedSeptember 9, 1902. Application filed August 1,1900. Serial attests. onmodel.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, DAVID LEWIS WELLMAN,

a citizen of the-United States, and a resident of Frazee, in the countyof Becker and State The invention consists in the novel construction andcombination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully setforth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is tobe had 'to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through themachine, taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. section throughone portion of the machine, the section being taken practically on theline 4 4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the set of the conveyer-belts and theirdriving mechanism.

Fig. 5 isa rear elevation of Ihemachine. Fig. dis a vertical sectionthrough one portion of the frame of the machine, the section being takenon the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 and illustrates one of the forward verticalshafts and the manner in which the sprocket-wheels and feed-wheels arelocated on such shafts. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view illustratingthe manner in which the main and working frames are connected,thesection beingtaken on the line 77 of Fig. 8'. Fig. 8 is a sideelevation of a portion of the main frame and a section through a portionof the working frame, the section being taken substantially on the line8 8 of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view through one of thelower longitudinal bars of the working frame, illustrating also insection a box adjusted upon the said bar, in which the lowerend of arear shaft is journaled.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal I employ two frames, a main frame A and a workingframe A, which is mounted to rock on the main frame, so that the workingframe may adjust itself to irregularities of the ground. The main frameA of the machine is of box construction, comprising an inner "and anouter side bar a and a and a connecting rear bar at, to which thestandard 10 of the drivers seat 10 is attached.

The side members of the main frame A are brought close together at theirforward ends, and at this 'point the tongue or pole 11 is pivoted to themain frame. The main supporting-wheel A is carried by the main frame andis preferably provided with a roughened periphery, and saidmainsupporting-wheel is secured upon a suitable axle 12, held to turn inboxes 12, located upon the upper edges of the side bars a and a of themain frame, and a large driving sprocket-wheel 13 is secured to theouter end of the axle 12, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5.

A caster-wheel 14 is located at the rear of the main frame, which Wheelsustains the weight of the driver and facilitates, turning corners, theshank 14: of the said wheel being pivoted to the rear portion of themain frame. Standards 15 are carried up from the side members of themain frame A at its rear,

and these standards are connected by a top frame 15, and a shaft 16 isjournaled in suitable bearings on the top frame 15 transversely of themainframe, as is shown particularly in Fig. 1. This shaftcarriesabevelgear 17 at its inner end, which meshes with a corresponding gear18, (shown in Fig. 5,) the latter gear being held to turn on a shaft 19,mounted in a bracket 20, usually attached to the inner standard 15, anda sprocketwheel 21' is secured to the upper end of the shaft 19, adaptedto communicate driving motion to the parts of the working frame, to behereinafter described. The shaft 16 is revolved by a chain belt 22,which passes over the large driving sprocket-wheel 13, connected withthe axle 12, and over a sprocketwheel 23, which is secured to the outerend of the shaft 16, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

In the construction of the working frame A a rear cross-bar 2 L isemployed. This crossbar extends below the rear portion of the main frameA and as far as may be desired beyond the right-hand side of the workingframe. This rear bar 24 has a rocking con nection with the main frame;butthis rocking connection is but slight and does not interfere with thetwo driving-gears l7 and 18, since the motion at the front of theworking frame to adapt said frame to the inequalities of the ground willbe but slight.

The preferred manner in which the attachment is efiected between therear cross-bar 24 of the working frame and the main frame is illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8 and consists in passing staples or clips 25 over theside members a and a of the main frame A and through openings 26 in therear cross-bar 24 of the working frame A, the ends of the staples orclips having suitable bolts applied, and it will be observed byreference to Fig. 8 that the openings 26 are V-shaped, being wide at thetop, which admits of one frame moving on the other. The movement of thetwo frames relatively to each other is a rocking movement and isaccomplished by securing rocker-blocks 27 to the under surfaces of theside pieces of the main frame, which rockerblocks bear upon the upperface of the rear cross-bar 24 of the working frame and are locatedbetween the members of the staples or clips 25.

Standards 28, preferably tubular, are secured to the side bars 35 and 35on the working frame A, as shown in Fig. 1, which bars will behereinafter described, one standard being at the right-hand end of thesaid frame and the other standard near the main frame A, sufficientspace being left between the lefthand standard 28 and the main frame Ato comfortablyaccommodatean animal. These standards 28 are connected atthe top by a tubular cross-bar 29, having series of rearwardly-extendingbearings 30, which are prefably at equal distances apart. The frontcross-bar 31 of the working frame A is lower than the rear crossbar 24,as shown in Fig. 5, and the length of this lower forward crossbar 31 isslightly greater than the distance between the uprights Uprights 32,also tubular and corresponding to the rear uprights 28, are secured uponthe upper face of the forward cross-bar 31 of the working frame A at ornear its ends, and these uprights 32 are connected at the top by atubular upper cross-bar 33, which from the rear of the machine appearslower than the corresponding cross-bar at the rear of the said workingframe. The forward upper and lower crossbars 33 and 31 are inclinedrearwardly in direction of the center of the working frame, so thatthese bars have a forward and outward inclination in opposite directionsfrom a central point.

The front upper cross-bar 33 is provided with horizontal bearings 34 atits forward surface, corresponding in number and position to thebearings 30 on the upper rear crossbar 29. The side bars 35 and 35 ofthe working frame A are tubular and engage with the end portions of boththe front and rear lower cross-bars 31 and 24, being secured to theuprights 28 and 32 by clamps of any suitable construction. The left-handside bar 35 of the working frame is usually carried rearward beyond therear lower cross-bar 24, while adjacent to the opposing or right-handside bar 35 of said frame a rearwardly-extending horizontal beam or bar36 is attached to the rear lower cross-bar 24, as shown in Fig. 1.Hangers 37 and 38 extend downward from the rear portion of the left-handside bar 35 and from the beam 36, and in these hangers rollers 39 arejournaled, over which rollers an endless apron 40 is passed, adapted asa carrier to receive and take off the flax-plants delivered at the rearof the machine. The righthand side of the machine is supported by acaster-wheel 41, the shank 41 whereof is pivoted to the rear end portionof the right-hand side bar 35 of the working frame, as illustrated inFig. 1.

The front and the rear cross-bars 31 and 24 of the working frame areconnected by longitudinal bars 42, which are placed at equal distancesapart and are immediately below the front and rear upper bearings 30 and34. These longitudinal bars 42 extend rearward beyond the lower rearcross-bar 24, and, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, at the rear end of each ofthese cross-bars a bearing-box 43 is adapted to slide, the bearing-boxeshaving rearward extensions 44, in which slots 45 are made, and bolts 46,provided with suitable nuts, are passed through the longitudinal bars 42and the openings 45 in the said bearingboxes, so that these boxes may beadjusted for the purpose of tightening the conveyer belts or chains, tobe hereinafter described.

A series of boxes 47 is secured to the front cross-bar 31 of the workingframe. These boxes are immediately below the upper front boxes orbearings 34, and the upper ends of vertical shafts 48 are journaled inthe upper bearings 34 and the said lower bearings or boxes 47, as isparticularly shown in Fig. 6. These shafts are in pairs, being sodivided by partitions 49, which extend from the front portion of theworking frame forward beyond the shafts and parts carried thereby, andthe upper edges of these partitions are inclined from the top downwardand forward, as shown in Fig. 3, although they may be otherwise shaped.To loosen the soil, and thereby the roots of the plants to permit themto be easily drawn from the ground, disks are mounted at the front endof the frame A. These disks are arranged in diagonal series, a seriesbeing at each side of the central partition 49, and here it may bestated that in addition to intermediate partitions 49 similar partitionsare located at the side portions of the machine. Each series of disks 50has the same inclination as the members of the front portions of theworking frame at the rear of them, as is best shown in Fig. 1, so thatthe series of disks incline or extend diagonally from the outer side ofthe machine rearward in direction of the center of the machine, and theseries of disks are practically separated by the partitions 49; but saidpartitions are located above said disks, as shownin Fig. 2. Usually thedisks 50 are mounted upon horizontal axles carried by arms 51, whichextend from the lower forward cross-bar to the working frame A or fromany other convenient portion of the machine, the inclination of the armsbeing downward and forward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and by thisarrangement of the disks the plants can readily pass the disks and enterthe spaces between the shafts 48. Each forward shaft 48 is provided withupper sprocket-Wheels 52 and 53, usually of the same diameter, and lowersprocket-Wheels 52 and 53 the upper sprocket-wheels being adjustablyheld on the shaft by collars 54. The lower sprocket-wheels are held onthe shaft by collars 54. The sprocket-wheels turn loosely upon theshafts 48, and a feedwheel 55 is secured to the under face of the uppersprocket-wheels of the upper and lower sets, as shown in Fig. 6, theattachment being made in any approved manner. Each feed-wheel 55consists of a suitable body and fingers 56, projected from the peripheryof the body, one longitudinal edge of each finger being ordinarilystraight and the opposing edge more or less curved, as shown in Figs. 1and 4. The shafts 48 of each pair are adapted to revolve in direction ofeach other, as indicated by arrows in Figs. 1 and 4. Consequently thefingers 56 of the feed-wheels 55 on said shafts will take the plantsfrom the disks and direct them into the spaces between opposingfeed-wheels.

Shafts 57 are journaled in the boxes 30 upon the rear cross-bar 29 ofthe machine, and the lower ends of the shafts 57 are journaled in theadjustable boxes 43. (See Fig. 9.) The body portions of the shafts 57are preferably polygonal, and at the upper portion of each shaft 57 asmall sprocket-wheel 58 is secured, while below this wheel and adjacentto it a larger sprocket-wheel 59 is attached to the shaft. Correspondinglower wheels 58 and 59 are attached to the shafts 57 at their lowerends.

A small sprocket-Wheel 60 is secured to the upper end of each shaft 57,and a chain belt 61 engages with all the sprocket-wheels 60 and with anidler 72 at the left-hand side of the machine, the said chain belt beinglikewise passed around the sprocket-wheel 21, adjacent to the main frameand supported therefrom, as shown in Fig. 1. The forward stretch d ofthe driving-belt 61 is straight; but the rear stretch d of this beltengages alternately with the rear surface of one of the small uppersprocket-wheels 60 and the forward edge of the next sprocket-wheel 60.In this manner the shafts of a pair are made to revolve in oppositedirections or in direction of each other, especially since chain belts62 are passed over the upper smaller sprocketwheels 58 on the rearshafts 57 and the upper sprocket wheels 52 on the forward shafts 48,while lower belts 63 are passed over the lower sprocket-wheels 59 of theupper sets on the rear shafts 57 and over corresponding sprocket-wheels53 on the forward shafts 48, and corresponding chain belts 62 and 63connect the sprocket-wheels of the lower sets on the said forward andrear shafts 48 and 57, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The smaller sprocket-wheels 58 are employed in order that the upperbelts of each set shall move slower than the lower belts, since thelower belts of each set serve as condoctors or conveyors, and theopposing lower belts at top and bottom belonging to each pair of frontand rear shafts are brought so close together that they will effectuallyhold or retain the plant that has been passed to the space between them,as shown in Fig. 4. Under such an arrangement it will be observed thatthe conveyer-belts travel faster than the feed-wheels, so that thefeed-wheels will 00 have an opportunity to act in a proper manner on theplants whose roots have been loosened by the disk cutters and to feedthese plants to the conveyer-belts, the latter serving to disengage theplants from the fingers 56 and to quickly carry the plants from thefront of the machine to the rear and drop them upon the carrier 40. Thehorizontal belts may be kept at proper tension by adjusting the lowerends of the rear shafts 57, which is accomplished through the medium ofthe lower bearing-boxes 43 for said shafts.

The operation of the machine is automatic throughout. The disks loosenthe roots of the plants and tend to lift them out of the ground, whilethe feed-wheels conduct the plants into the space between opposingconveyer-belts, and these latter quickly dispose of the plants at therear of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a flax-harvester, a supporting-frame, rotarydisk cutters mounted on horizontal axles in arms projecting from theframe and adapted to enter the ground and loosen the roots of plants,which cutters have concaved and convexed sides, chain conveyors adaptedto receive material from the said cutters, which chain conveyors areplaced in close relation, and feeding devices adapted to conductmaterial from the disks to the spaces between adjacent members of theconveyers, as specified. V

2. In a flax-harvester, a supporting-frame, a series of rotary disks,each" disk being provided witha concaved outer and a convexed innerface, the disks being mounted on horizontal axles in arms projectingforwardly from the frame and adapted to enter the ground 0 and loosenthe roots of plants, pairs of conveyer-belts located adjacent to thedisks, corresponding members of horizontally-opposing belts being neartogether, feed-wheels located &

at the forward end of each conveyor, and means for rotating the saidwheels in direction of the space between corresponding members ofhorizontally-aiming conveyerbelts.

3. In a flax-harvester, chain conveyers and feed-wheels at the forwardportion of said conveyers, the feed-wheels serving to direct material tothe spaces between the conveyers, said conveyers consisting of endlessbelts in horizontal pairs, one pair being placed above the other, theinner stretches of the belts of a pair being adapted to grip materialclosely between them, and rotary disk cutters mounted on horizontalaxles and located adjacent to the forward lower portion of the lowerconveyers, for the purpose described.

4. In a flax-harvester, chain conveyers, and feed-wheels at the forwardportions of said conveyers, the feed-wheels serving to direct materialto the spaces between the conveyors,

the said conveyors consisting of sets of endless belts in horizontalpairs, one pair being above the other, the inner stretches of the beltsof a pair being adapted to grip material between them, and meansformoving the belts of one pair of belts at a lower speed than the beltsof the other pair, as set forth.

5. In a flax-harvester, front and rear pairs of shafts, sprocket-wheelsarranged in pairs on each shaft of the front pairs of shafts, afeed-wheel located between the wheels of each pair of sprocketwheels ofthe said front shafts, sprocket-wheels of different sizes arranged inpairs on and mounted to turn with each shaft of the rear pairs ofshafts, chain belts passed over corresponding sprocketwheels on thefront and rear shafts, the innor stretches of corresponding belts beingsufficiently close to grip material between them, and means forrevolving the shafts of the rear pairs of shafts in opposite directions,as set forth.

6. In a flax-harvester, a frame, forward and rear shafts mountedvertically on said frame, the forward shafts being in two series atangles to each other, each series having an inclination rearward to thecenter of the frame, sprocket-wheels of equal size mounted to turn onthe forward shafts, a large and a small wheel mounted to turn on each ofthe rear shafts, feed wheels located between the sprocket-wheels on theforward shaft, turning with said wheels, and conveyor-belts passed overcorresponding sprocket-wheels on the forward and rear shafts, and meansfor driving the rear shafts, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a flax-harvester, a frame, forward and rear shafts mountedvertically on the said frame, the forward shafts being in two series atangles to each other, each series having an inclination rearward to thecenter of the frame, sprocket-wheels of equal size mounted to turn onthe forward shafts, a large and a small sprocket-wheel mounted to turnwith each of the rear shafts, feed-wheels located between thesprocket-wheels on the forward shafts, turning with said wheels,conveyerbelts passed over corresponding sprocketwheels on the forwardand rear shafts, means for driving the rear shafts, forwardly-extendingpartitions dividing the series of forward shafts into pairs, and aseries of disk cutters located below the said partitions and adapted toenterthe ground and on t the roots of plants, which disks have concavedouter and convexed inner faces and are arranged in transverse alinementwith the series of shafts at a point below and in advance of them, asdescribed.

8. In a flax-harvester, the combination,with a main frame carrying amain driving and supporting wheel, a working frame having a rockingconnection with the main frame, the forward portion of the working framebeing inclined from its sides toward the center, and

a series of disk cutters adapted to loosen the roots of plants, locatedin front of the working frame and connected with the forward portionthereof, of a series of shafts mounted at the forward portion of theworking frame, following the inclination of the said part,sprocket-wheels of equal size loosely mounted on the said forwardshafts, feed-wheels located between said sprocket-wheels and connectedwith one of them, a series of shafts corresponding to the forward shaftsand mounted to turn at the rear of the working frame, a small and alarge gear-wheel secured to each rear shaft and mounted to turntherewith, chain belts connecting corresponding sprocket-wheels with theforward and the rear shafts, the inner stretches of adjacent belts beingsufficiently close together to grip material between them,driving-sprockets located at the upper portion of the rear shafts, achain belt engaging alternately with the front and rear surfaces of thesaid drivingsprockets, and a driving connection between the beltengaging with the driving-sprockets and the main supporting-wheelin themain frame of the machine.

9. In a fiax-harvester,the combination,with a main frame carrying a maindriving and supporting wheel, a working frame having a rockingconnection with the main frame, the forward portion of the working framebeing inclined from its sides toward the center, and series of diskcutters adapted to loosen the roots of plants, located in front of theworking frame and connected with the forward portion thereof, of aseries of shafts mounted at the forward portion of the working frame,following the inclination of said part,sprocketwheels of equal sizeloosely mounted on the said forward shafts, feed-wheels located betweensaid sprocket-wheels and connected with one of them, a series of shaftscorresponding to the forward shafts and mounted to turn at the rear ofthe working frame, a small and a large gear-wheel secured to each rearshaft and mounted to turn therewith, chain belts connectingcorresponding sprocket-wheels with the forward and the IIO rear shafts,the inner stretches of adjacent belts being sufficiently close togetherto grip material between them, driving sprocketwheels located at theupper portion of the rear shafts,- a chain belt engaging alternatelywith the front and rear surfaces of the said driving sprocket-wheels,adriving connection between the belt engaging with the drivingsprocket-Wheels and the main supportingwheel in the main frame of themachine, caster-wheels located at the rear of the main frame and rearouter portion of the working frame, and means, substantially asdescribed, for adjusting the lower ends of the rear shafts.

10. In a flax-harvester, a wheel-supported frame, series of disks, saidseries being at angles to one another and extending from the center ofthe frame outward in opposite directions, each disk havingaconcavedouter and a convexed inner face, upper and lower belt conveyors arrangedin pairs and extending from a point near the disks to the rear portionof the frame, the corresponding members of each pair of'conveyer-beltsbeing sufficiently close together to hold a plant, and feed-wheelsmounted to revolve at the forward end of each belt conveyer, thefeedwheels of each pair of conveyors turning in direction of the spacebetween correspond= ing members of the said belts, for the purpose setforth.

11. In a flax-harvester, the combination, with a frame, a series ofshafts arranged on diagonal lines inclining outwardly and forwardly fromthe center of the said frame at the front, a second series of shaftslocated at the rear of the said frame, series of disks arrangedcorrespofidingly to the forward shafts in the said frame, the diskshaving concaved outer and convexed inner faces, and partitionsseparating the said forward shafts into pairs, which partitions extendover the said disks, of sprocket-wheels mounted. on the forward and rearshafts, conveyer-belts carried by the said sprocket-wheels, feed-wheelsattached to sundry of the said forward sprocket-wheels, and means forturning the feed-wheels of each pair of belts in direction of the spacebetween corresponding members of said belts, for the purpose set forth,I

12. In a flax-harvester, the combination with a main frame, asupporting-wheel mounted therein, and a working frame having a rockingconnection with the main frame, of shafts arranged in pairs at the frontand rear of the working frame, sprocket-wheels on the said shafts, chainbelts passing around the sprocket-wheels, means for revolving the rearshafts of the several pairs of shafts in opposite directions from thesupporting-wheel of the main frame, and rotary disk cutters mounted onhorizontal axles at the forward part of the working frame and adapted toenter the ground and loosen the roots of the flax, substantially asdescribed.

13. In a flax-harvester, the combination with a main frame,asupportingwheel mounted therein, and a sprocket-wheel driven from thesupporting-wheel, of a working frame having a rocking connection withthe main frame, shafts arranged in pairs at the front and rear of theworking frame, sprocketwheels on the shafts, chain belts passingaroundthe sprocket-wheels, a sprocket-wheel on the upper end of eachrear shaft, and a sprocket-chain alternately engaging the front and rearsurfaces of the sprocket-wheels of the rear shafts, said sprocket-chainpassing around the sprocket-wheel of the main frame, substantially asdescribed.

14. In a flax-harvester, a working frame having its front inclinedrearwardly and in name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DAVID LEWIS WELLMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN JAPsoN,

E. F. GUMMER.

